Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-27
AND RELIGION
Christianity and AnarchIsm COntrasted
The american Nation Founded
by God Fearing HIen.

Christianity and AnarchIsm Contrasted.
The american Nation Founded
by God Fearing aIen.
Chicago Inter Ocean.
CHICAGO, ILL, Nov. 16.--There are
those wno declare that the American COM
mon school system is the corner stone of
this republic. A corner stone is "the
stone which lies 1T the corner Of two
walls and unites them; the principal
stone; especially the stone which forms
the corner of the foundation of an edifiCe;
hence that which is Of great importance
or indispensable. Christianity is the
corner stone Of the American republic
the stone that unites the two walls Of
liberty aud law. The fundamental truths
of the Christian religion form the rock
on which rest the free institutions Of
which we sre SO justly proud.
The revolutionary fathers were Chris
tisn statesmen. OF the ff y-six signers
of the declaration of independence,
not one Was en- infidel The original
draft WAS by Thomas Jeff rson. There
are three distinct references to the Su
preme Being in the opening sentences Of
this immoral instrument. The DeClara-
ton closes with these significant and sug-
gestive words; Sand for the support Of
this declaration, with firm reliance on
the protection of Divine Providence,
we mutually pledge to each other
our lives, our fortunes and our
sacred honor" This nation was founded
by Christians, by men who were believers
in al overriding Providence-in the COG
who "tempers the wind to the shOrn
lamb" in Him whose love, mercy and
Justice arr seen il the history of states,
races and nationalities. It was the evil
dent intent Of the revolutionary leaders,
of those who affixed their houored
names to the Declaration OF Independ
ence, of those who framed the Federal
Constitution 10 institute a government
and establish nation on this continent
which should be at once christianity and
liberal, which should be both all-perva-
siVely religious and widely tolerant.
Those great minds possessing the genu-
inc spirit and pure motive Of Jesus Christ
are ever the most liberal hearted of men;
to follow the Chilean is to "folloW
peace with sill men" in SO far as that is
practically astainable.
Under the constitution of 1887, church
aud state are separate. No person IN the
Uuited States is compelled to belong to
ard church or to worship other than &C.
co ding to the dictates OF his own con-
science. He is free to worship or not, as
re shell elect. But religion is in
d,epensable 10 the individuals moral
W ll-6eing; the history of the
numan spirit reveals this
From the history of governments, and
from the recorded deeds Of over-Zealous
parliamentary advocates OF 3 state church,
the early American stStesmen drew the
lesson tnaG whenever the government IN
dertakes 20 dispense religion 20 the peO-
pie it inevitably Injuries and retsrds,
rather than promotes, the progress of
true piety and healthy morality
The doctrine of enforced worship
and the doctrine Of religious liberty
are absolutely incompatible. General
George Washington, s free and voluntary
subscriber to the tenets CT Christianity,
was president of the convention ct which
the nationa! constitution WAS framed. He
In common With those VINO sat with him
in that august assem5lage, was DESTROYS
mat no SUM ding block sAould be placed
in the way of religion or of piety To
their wise minds the principle Of freedom
Of religious thought was conducive to
practical morality and Experimental relig-
ion. Because the constitution itself re-
cogniZ 8 no particular form of religion is
no sign that the authors of our Magma
Ctarts we're men who believed not in the
sanctiiies, restraints, consolation, iDspIra-
tions, chickering's, joys, encoursgments,
aud hopes OF Chrlst's religion. On the con-
trsry, they were men who, with rare tx
cepiions, acknowledged the divine origin
of Christianity, and the superiority of the
scriptures. At Fourth OF July grafton
delivered by john Quincy Adams
in 1881, he used the follow
ing language: each (state) was
pledged to ell, and all were pledged
TO each, by 8 concert OF souls, without
imitation Of time, in the presence of AL
mighty God, .snd proclaimed to all man
kind" He also declared: "The Declar-
alton of Independence asserted the
rights and acknowledged the obligations
! OF an independent nation. 1t recognized
the laws of the nations, SIS they were OBJ
served and prscticed among Christian
commuUitie 8"
The spirit and the genius OF our govern
ment-becsuse it is government COM
posed largely of religious peoples IN
deniably Christian. Our government is
not uuchrlstian, bat is n-the ocraIic. A
rsilwsy corporation is not s society for
the propagation OF the gospel or for fur
ntshi0g religious instruction, yet there is
nothing to prevent every member of thst
corporation from becoming a Christian
So with the whole government.
We should carefully consider the mo.
tive which impsls anarchists to declare
themselves disbelievers in God, in i'm.
mortality, In the Bible, in Christianity, in
the church, in Christian governments, and
in Christian institutions in general.
Some of the old Roman emperors, VINO
| were theoretical republican sgistrates
and VINO were chosen by the Senate, were
realiy desposic sovereigns and claimed
divine nonors They elected TO be gods
and commanded the people TO worship
them. They were Jealous of God AL
mighty. They trampied under their fee